“I found a fair field”

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A Guide To Faire Making

All good things do come to an end. In 1975 the Barsham crew decided that the success of the fair was creating too great a burden of responsibility for a voluntary group, so the last Barsham Faire was in 1976.

This book was produced to pass on the skills they had learnt, in the hope that other fairs would be encouraged. The response came in the South West of England with Hood Fair, Polgooth Fair and Elephant Fayre. Meanwhile back in East Anglia new fair makers joined with old hands and Albion Fairs was born.

A Guide to Faire Making
Organisation for Mobilisation
The Site
Graft and Glitter
Spectacles and Showmen
Theatre and Dance
Music
Craft
Food and Drink
Car Parks
Money and Insurance
Publicity
Fair Comment

This is an archive of the 1976 book and its contacts, prices and regulations belong to that time. Faire makers are advised to research the current requirements for health and safety, licences, insurance and their legal obligations. This edition has been reorganised using original illustrations where possible, with pictures added and replaced to satisfy the medium.